Illuminated display device



Oct. 6, 1942.

C. H. WYSS, JR

ILLUMINATED DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Aug. 3, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORC.H.WYSS, JR.

a A ORNE% Oct. 6, 1942. c. H. WYSS, JR

ILLUMINATED DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Aug. 3, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.3

INVENTOR C. H. WYSS, JR.

A ORN Patented on. a, 1942 UNITED STATES 2,297,851 ILLUMINATED DISPLAYDEVICE Clement H. Wyss, Jr., Tuckahoe, N. Y., assignor to The WesternUnion Telegraph Company,

' New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 3, 1939,Serial No. 288,073

3 Claims.

This invention relates to display devices and has particular referenceto illuminated signs.

An object of the instant invention is to provide a novel sign structurewhereby a high degree of efliciency is obtained in the utilization ofthe light supplied.

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide a sign structure employingan elliptical reflector to direct substantially all of the availablelight into the space tob'e illuminated. v

Still another object of the invention is to provide a sign structureembodying a. novelarrangement of an elliptical reflector, a source oflight 'and a light pervious panel whereby substantially all of theavailable light is directed intoan edge of the panel.

.The invention will be described in connection with two illustrativeembodiments thereof taken' in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings.

of which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of a signembodyingone form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view'of the sign taken on theline 2-2.ofF'ig. l; U

Fig. 3-is a perspective view of a sign embodying the invention inanother form; and

-,'Fig 4 is a sectional view taken on the line H of Fig. 3.

Having reference first to Figs l and 2, the invention is disclosed in asign, the panel of which Y is illuminated substantiallyuniformly fromthe.

in communication .with the reflecting chamber.

- The reflecting chamber I2 is of an elongated character and has anelliptical transverse cross sectionai configuration. A tubular source oflight II is supported'be'tween two brackets 15 and I6 and extendssubstantially the entire length of the reflecting cham'ber 12 beinglocated at the lower focal pointer the elliptical chamber.

.The 'diifusin" chamber I 3 is formed of arear wall lI-whic is'preferably curved as shown.

However, it is-contemplatedthat the curvature,

if any, which is given to'the rear wall of the dif-' fusing chamber-maybe varied within-wide limits without departing from the. spirit of theinvention. The front v.wall of the diffusing chamber is formed by alightpervious panel l8 upon which may be inscribed any. desired design orother indicia such as advertising matter designated gen.-

ferally'by'the' character of reference 19. The lower portion of thelight diffusing chamber I3 55 what inefllcient use has been made oftheav of the reflecting member.

is disposed within the light reflecting chamber I! sothat it liesslightly above the upper focus of the elliptical reflecting chamber.This lower portion of the diffusing chamber which is in communicationwith the reflecting chamber is closed by a light retracting member 20.In the disclosed 1 embodiment the refracting member is one having across sectional configuration which isplanoconcave witlathe concavesurface facing into the diffusing chamber.

The entire inner surface of the light reflecting chamber I2 isconditioned to reflect the light emanating from the source l4. Since thesource of lightis located at one focus of the elliptical reflectingchamber, substantially all of the light emitted therefrom is reflectedand concentrated in the vicinity of the other focus of the chamber. Thecomponent'beams of light reaching this point impinge upon the lower orplane surface of the refracting member 20 at various angles but, afterpassing through this member, are directed upward as substantiallyparallel beams. The light entering the diffusing chamber l3 as describedis reflected from the rear wall I'l, which is also reflectivelyconditioned, onto the back surface of the panel l8. The configurationsof the refracting member 20 and the reflecting wall I! are suchcentrated at a point adjacent the upper diffusing chamber l3 and isdirected into this chamber by means of the retracting member 20' in sucha manner that'the light impinging upon the reflect- 'ing member I! isdistributed evenly over' the panel l8.-

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in Figs. 3 and ,4 to whichreference will be made for the subsequent portion of the description. In

this modification of the invention an elliptically shaped reflectingmember isemployed in combijnation .with. a source of light disposed atone 1 focus thereof and a transparent panel having one edgethereofdisposed adjacent the other focus knownin the art as an edge lightedsign, numer- Thistype of si n is of this nature which is appreciablymore efiiclent than similar signs used in the past.

An elongated reflecting chamber 2| having an elliptical transversecross-section is supported on a base I2. A tubular source of light 23'is supported by a-pair of brackets 2i and 2| at the lower focus of thereflecting chamber 2|. An opening is formed in the top of the chamber 2|through which is inserted a transparent panel 2'. This panel projectswithin the chamber 2| a suflicient distance to bring its lower edgesubstantially at the upper focus of the reflecting chamber and issupported in this position by a plurality of hangers or brackets such as21. The panel is provided with appropriate indicia 28, which may beapplied thereto in any well known manner such as etching orsand-blasting.

The larger portion of the light which is supplied from the source 23 isconcentrated at the upper focus of the reflecting chamber 2i adjacentwhich is disposed the lower edge of the panel 2. Thus substantially allof the light is dir'ected into the lower edge of the j panel and, inaccordance with a well known principle, is reflected back and forthbetween the surfaces thereof until it becomes incident upon a roughened.surface formed by the characters 28. It is then allowed to escape fromthe panel and-thus illuminates the characters inscribed thereon.

It is believed that the foregoing description of two illustrativeembodiments of the invention is sufllcient to disclose the nature of theinvention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An illuminated display device comprising, a reflecting chambercharacterized by an elliptical cross section, a source of light disposedat one focus of said reflecting chamber, a diffusing chamber having alight reflective curved rear wall and communicating with ,saidreflecting chamber adjacent the other focus thereof, a light refractivemember disposed at the juncture of said chambers to direct a substantialportion of the light flux transmitted thereby toward the opposite end ofsaid diffusing chamber, a light pervious panel disposed to form thefront wall of said diffusing chamber, and means including saidreflective rear wall and said refractive member for illuminating saidpanel substantially unicent panel disposed to form the front wall ofsaid diffusing chamber, and means including said reflective rear walland said lens for illuminating said panel substantially uniformly;

3. An illuminated display device comprising, an elongated reflectingchamber characterized by an elliptical transverse cross section, asource of light extending substantially the length of i said reflectingchamber at one focus thereof, a

diflfusing chamber extending from said reflecting chamber and having oneside thereof disposed in communication with said reflecting chamberadjacent the other focus thereof, a light reflective curved memberforming the rear wall of said diffusing chamber, a light pervious memberforming the front wall of said diflusing chamber, a

' light refractive member forming the communicating side of said lightchamber and characterized by a piano-concave transverse cross sectionand serving to directs substantial portion of the light flux transmittedthereby toward the opposite end oi. said diffusing chamber, and meansincluding said reflective member and said refractive member forilluminating said panel substantially uniformly.

CLEMENT H. WYSSrJR.

